Island County Groundwater Publications
The following documents pertain to groundwater resources of Island County, sorted by date
Wa029, 1958, A.O. NESS, C.G. RICHINS
1958 Soil Survey of Island County, Washington
see also
2008 and
Current (web app) surveys.
WSB25, 1968, D.J. Easterbrook, H.W. Anderson
Pleistocene Stratigraphy of Island County and Groundwater-Resources of Island County.
Part I: Plate 1
Part II: Plate 1, Plate 2, Plate 3, Plate 4, Table 1
USGS OFR 82-561, 1982, D.R. Cline, M.A. Jones, etal.
Preliminary Survey of Ground-Water Resources for Island County, Washington
USGS WRIR 85-4046, 1985, M.A. Jones
Occurrence of Ground Water and Potential for Seawater Intrusion, Island County, Washington - Plate 1
Plate 2
Plate 3
Plate 4
Plate 5
Plate 6
USGS WRIR 87-4182, 1988, D.B. Sapik, G.C. Bortleson etal
Ground-Water Resources and Simulation of Flow in Aquifers Containing Freshwater and Seawater, Island County, Washington
IC CWSP, 1990, IC Planning & Community Development
Island County Coordinated Water System Plan
Island County Coordinated Water System Plan Appendices
IC GWMP, 1992, IC Groundwater Advisory Committee
Island County Groundwater Management Program
Island County Groundwater Management Program Appendix
USGS WRIR 03-4101, 2003, S.S. Sumioka, H.H. Bauer
Estimating Ground-Water Recharge from Precipitation on Whidbey and Camano Islands, Island County, Washington, Water Years 1998 and 1999
Information (topic papers) developed as part of the Island County
Watershed Planning process can be found here:
Seawater Intrusion Topic Paper
Groundwater Recharge Topic Paper
Exempt Wells Topic Paper
Water Rights Topic Paper
Water Supply AlternativesTopic Paper
The full Watershed Plan, and other watershed planning documents can be found
HERE
2008 Soil survey of Island County, Washington. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
2008 Soil Survey of Island County, Washington
see also
1958 and
Current (web app) surveys.
DOE Publication 11-11-011, Revised 11/2016
Focus on Water Availability, Island Watershed WRIA 6
The Following Reference Documents Generally Pertain (but not specifically) to Groundwater Resources of Island County.
WSB32, 1971, K.J. Walters
Reconnaissance of Sea-Water Intrusion Along Coastal Washington, 1966-68
WSB56, 1984, N.P . Dion, S.S. Sumioka
EPA 171-R-92-027, 1992, E.B. Tibbott
USGS Circular 1139, 1998, T.C. Winter, J.W. Harvey, etal
USGS PP 1424-D, 1998, A.J. Vaccaro, A.J. Hansen Jr., M.A. Jones
USGS Circular 1186, 1999, W.M. Alley, T.E. Reilly, O.L. Franke
USGS PP 1424-C, 1999, Jones, M. A.
Preparing for a Changing Climate, 2012, Washington Department of Ecology
Department of Ecology Water Right Information
Landowners Guide to Washington State Water Rights
The Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington, 2015.
CIG93777D
The following information, although not directly related to Island County groundwater, may be of interest to those who have wandered this far down this page.
Island County is located in an area that tends to have elevated levels of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater. The following link takes you to a USEPA fact sheet that discusses arsenic in drinking water:
The following link takes you to a document developed by the Washington State Dept of Health that discusses arsenic in private wells.
The following link takes you to a page developed by the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program that discusses arsenic in private wells.
Arsenic and You
Island County is located in an area that tends to have elevated levels of naturally occurring iron in groundwater. This can lead to wells having issues with iron bacteria. The following links discuss iron (manganese and sulfur) bacteria in wells:
Iron Bacteria in Well Water (University of Georgia Extension) VERY Detailed!
Iron Bacteria in Wells (Minnesota Dept of Health)
Many residents of Island County move here from areas where large public water systems provided water to them. These residents find themselves now owning their own wells, and some may be looking for information on how to properly manage and maintain these wells. For those people, the following is an excellent source of highly detailed (and FREE!) information:
Another site with lots of information regarding well ownership:
For some tips about owning your own well, the USEPA has the following:
If you'd like to disinfect your well / plumbing, the following provides instructions on how to do it:
If you'd like to measure the water level in your well, the following provides instructions on how to do it:
note: This document was produced by the Oregon Water Resources Department; links within the document are for the State of Oregon. You can find Washington State well log information from the
Washington State Dept. of Ecology or from Island County.
A report by the Groundwater Protection Council that discusses groundwater and the associated risks:
GWPC Ground Water Report to the Nation
Island County is located in an area that is at risk for earthquakes. The following web site provides good factual information regarding the risks: Cascadia Region Earthquakes Workgroup (CREW)
Earthquake Information
A discussion of more local earthquake hazards can be found here:
Earthquakes: An Everyday Threat in Island County
Some areas of Island County are prone to landslides. The Washington Geological Survey has published a homeowners guide to landslides, more information can be found here:
WA DNR has a web page devoted to natural disasters and emergency preparedness:
Emergency Prepardness
Island County Department of Emergency Management also has information available concerning emergency preparedness:
Washington State Law (WAC 173-160-171.3.b.vi) prohibits the drilling of wells within 1000 feet of a Landfill. The following maps show the locations of Landfill Setbacks in Island County (areas in red). Wells should not be drilled within these areas unless a variance is obtained from the Washington Department of Ecology.
Click Here to view landfill location map (PDF).
or Click Here to view landfill location map (Google Earth).
Click Here to view a 1986 report regarding landfills in Island County
Questions or comments regarding this page should be directed to: Doug Kelly, Island County Hydrogeologist
